Gun Availability and Violent Crime: New Evidence from the National Incident-Based Reporting System

Abstract

Usingfouryears of county-level data drawnfrom the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) for South Carolina and a pooled cross-sectional time-series research design, we investigate whether gun availability is related to violent crime, gun crime, juvenile gun crime, and violent crimes committed with a knife. We contribute to the literature by distinguishing between illegal and legal gun availability and by using a comprehensive measure ofgun crime. Results show a strongpositive relationship between illegal gun availability and violent crime, gun crime, andjuvenile gun crime. Little or no effect for the legitimate gun availability measure is observed in any of the estimated models. Findings also reveal that illegal guns have little influence on violent crimes committed with a knife. Offenders seem not to be substituting knives or other cutting instruments when illegalfirearms become less available. A supplemental analysis also indicates no evidence of simultaneity between gun availability and violent crime. The strong and consistent effect of illegal rather than legal gun availability on violent crime has importantpolicy implications, because it suggests that greater attention should be directed at devising ways for legitimate gun owners to better secure their weapons.